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25 Christmas Writing Prompts For Holiday Inspiration

One of my readers requested this post! I was happy to do it, because winter and the holidays bring great inspiration to me. These could be used for fiction, journaling, or just about any other creative writing. And I’m keeping them G-rated in case any teachers want to use them for their students! (And if you are a teacher, check out my 50 Story Ideas for Kids , too!)

But these prompts work just as well for adults. If you’ve had a busy autumn or a tumultuous year, but you have a Christmas break, that’s a great time to get back into a writing habit again. Although these are fiction prompts, some of them could be adapted to autobiographical prompts for essays, journaling, or memoir writing as well.

Two people who are secretly romantically interested in one another. They agree to share Christmas dinner together, just as friends, because a family holiday isn’t going to happen and all of their other friends are already busy.
Someone doesn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.
A person is on a difficult quest to find or make a particular gift for someone else.
A Christmas card arrives in the mail fifty years after it was delivered.
The Christmas ornament is supposedly enchanted.
Someone has just became fabulously wealthy and is picking out gifts for their family.
Someone is transported to a Christmas in a past century.
To impress her, he learns all of the words to her favorite Christmas carol. And he doesn’t even like carols. Or Christmas. Or singing.
Someone embarrasses herself at a Christmas party.
Write a scene inspired by the image of a boat decked out in Christmas lights.
Notes and gifts from a “Secret Santa” take a strange turn.
After the blizzard hits, they’re stuck together for a while, and they have to stay warm.
A single person reacts to getting Christmas cards from married couples with pictures of them with their smiling children.
Two strangers wind up participating in a holiday activity together.
Someone has been cutting down and stealing trees from the Christmas tree farm.
Someone resorts to desperate measures to get home for Christmas.
Write about the worst present your character ever got.
They’re putting up a Christmas tree at the hospital.
Write about someone who’s determined to make amends at Christmas.
Write a scene that incorporates the smells of Christmas.
Someone receives a gift wrapped in newspaper and duct tape.
At the castle, Christmas is very different from what she’s used to.
He and his very pregnant wife can’t find a hotel room right before Christmas.
Okay, he’s not Santa, but he did have a very good reason for breaking into the house.
What’s a reindeer doing in this part of town?

I hope you enjoyed the list! If you want to get notifications of new writing posts (plus general positivity), be sure to subscribe below!

And if you want more writing prompts…like 450 pages’ worth…check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts. It’s full of master plots in many genres, creative exercises, and more.

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100 Christmas romance writing prompts

December 20, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

100 Christmas romance writing prompts await in this list, full of festive story ideas to spark tender moments and holiday love stories. The holidays offer the perfect backdrop for a little romance, whether readers are snuggling by the fire with their significant other or hoping to find love under the mistletoe this Christmas.

These story prompts range from reunited childhood sweethearts to unlikely run-ins between humbug strangers. There are ideas about friends scheming to set up singles, pretend couples forced to pose as lovers, and endless mistletoe mix-ups. The prompts provide heartwarming Hallmark movie-style inspiration alongside quirky holiday meet-cutes.

Let this list of 100 Christmas romance writing prompts help spark sweet story ideas about holiday crushes, Christmas wish list romance, and finding that special someone during the most wonderful time of the year. These festive prompts are ideal for writers looking to develop short stories, poems, or even greeting card verses celebrating true love and the magic of the Christmas season.

Use these 100 prompts as a creativity boost to spread extra holiday romance and good cheer through your writing this Christmas!

Here are 100 Christmas romance writing prompts:

Two neighbors who have never met keep receiving each other’s mail/packages due to a mix-up. They meet while trying to return the items.
Someone shows up on their ex’s doorstep on Christmas Eve hoping to rekindle their relationship.
Two people get stuck in an airport overnight on Christmas Eve due to a blizzard.
Someone returns home for Christmas to find their high school crush has moved back too.
Two co-workers get snowed in at the office Christmas party and spend the night talking.
Someone buys their single friend/family member a dating site profile as a Christmas gift.
Childhood best friends realize they have feelings for one another when they reunite for the holidays.
Two people keep running into each other in unlikely places while Christmas shopping.
Someone finds their ex’s old love letters while decorating for Christmas and contacts them.
Two people with holiday birthdays meet at a Christmas Eve party for singles.
Someone falls in love with a mall Santa without realizing who they are.
A single parent meets their child’s teacher under the mistletoe at a Christmas pageant.
A bakery manager keeps receiving Secret Santa gifts from a mystery admirer.
Someone is challenged to do 25 acts of kindness before Christmas and ends up helping a stranger find love.
A person returns home to celebrate their parent’s last Christmas together and runs into an old flame.
A person keeps finding thoughtful handmade gifts on their doorstep from an anonymous giver.
Two widowed neighbors find comfort in each other during their first Christmas alone.
Someone plots an intricate scavenger hunt Christmas proposal for their partner around town.
A boss and employee admit their feelings for one another at the annual Christmas party.
Two people play opposite love interests in a community Christmas play and romance blooms.
Long-distance pen pals meet for the first time when one surprises the other by coming for Christmas.
Two people fall for each other while serving meals at a soup kitchen on Christmas Day.
Someone returns to their hometown to save the annual Christmas parade and reunites with an old crush.
Two teachers chaperoning the Christmas school dance share a romantic dance.
A blackout during a blizzard leads a person to take shelter with their crush next door.
Someone proposes by hiding the ring inside an advent calendar for their partner.
An elf entertainer at Santa’s workshop downtown sweeps a visitor off their feet.
Two people find themselves having to share a room in a crowded inn on Christmas Eve.
Someone tries to win their crush’s heart by finding and returning their cherished childhood teddy bear lost years ago.
A workaholic learns the meaning of Christmas when forced to care for an abandoned dog over the holidays.
Someone falls for the festive shopkeeper next door but struggles to learn their identity due to a Santa disguise.
Two grumpy neighbors get into a funny feud trying to outdo each other decorating for Christmas.
Friends scheme to set up two wallflowers at their struggling Christmas tree farm.
The Nutcracker character comes to life when a ballerina stays late rehearsing before Christmas Eve.
An old flame calls after seeing someone’s Christmas card and wants to meet up again.
Two strangers get caught under the mistletoe at a holiday party.
A frazzled mall Santa starts getting real advice letters from kids and one strikes a chord.
Someone buys candy canes attached to mistletoe to meet strangers to kiss for charity at Christmas.
A xylophone player on the streets catches the attention of a passerby who drops money in their case.
A woman gets proposed to through a Christmas treasure hunt scavenger organized by her partner.
Two neighbors bond while building massive snow creations after a big winter storm.
Someone has a one-night stand while wearing a sexy elf costume on Christmas Eve who turns out to be their dream partner.
A woman gets into the Christmas spirit when she meets a man at a wrapping station in a mall gift-wrapping for charity presents.
Someone falls for a mall Santa without realizing that it’s their friend in disguise.
Two people get handcuffed together while fighting over the last item on the shelf – only to realize they were meant to be.
Childhood friends admit they have feelings for one another under a weather delay at an airport on Christmas Eve.
Two introverted writers meet virtually over critiquing each other’s holiday romance novellas – only to surprise one another when they meet in real life.
A person falls for the singing Christmas gram messenger at their office party.
A woman entertains kids at her sister’s preschool Christmas show only to fall for a single dad in the audience.
Two strangers are the stars in a small town’s living nativity scene.
Someone propose by hiding clues related to their relationship history all over town ending under the Christmas tree.
Neighbors fall for each other while one of them teaches the other how to make the perfect gingerbread house.
Two people admit their attraction for one another while volunteering for the local coat drive.
A woman falls for a man collecting donations outside a grocery store for families in need.
Someone unexpectedly falls for Santa during a holiday train ride.
Two grumpy singletons get invited to the same holiday-obssessed friend’s Christmas bash & find common ground.
Childhood sweethearts reunite after losing touch post-high school when they discover they bought gifts for orphaned children in each other’s name for Christmas.
Two strangers who can’t stop laughing together are mistaken for a couple under enchanted mistletoe at a holiday party.
Someone falls for their best friend’s sibling at their family holiday gathering.
Two people find love notes written by former owners while remodeling an old house together just before Christmas.
Two strangers seem to keep finding themselves seated next to each other at various Christmas dinners.
Someone falls for their handsome neighbor while watching them inflate an elaborate light display from their window.
Two childhood best friends stranded at the airport get more comfortable with each other than ever before while trying to get home for Christmas day.
A new guy in town needs help learning the local holiday traditions and falls for the woman who teaches them over hot cocoa.
Someone is dared by their friends to kiss a stranger under the mistletoe which leads to putting names & numbers to familiar strangers at a holiday market.
After years of just missing connections an anonymous Christmas secret admirer reveals themselves.
A woman falls for the hot new Santa character during her Christmas date at the zoo’s holiday lights festival.
Childhood pen pals reunite after 25 years and meet in person for the first time on Christmas Eve.
Two strangers get caught under the mistletoe at an ugly Christmas sweater party.
Two neighbors and Christmas enthusiasts start up some friendly rivalry about who can decorate their house best, but it turns into flirting & romance.
Two people find themselves having to wear embarrassing holiday costumes while caroling together as a punishment but end up falling for each other.
Two strangers run into each other under mistletoe several times in one day and decide it must be fate.
An assistant helps take holiday family portraits for extra cash when sparks fly with a particular handsome stranger in a reindeer sweater.
Two people find love notes a relative has saved written between former owners while decorating an inherited antique desk for Christmas together.
Someone falls in love with the singing telegram performer sent by their friends as a joke during the holidays but romance blooms.
Two people end up on an epic quest to replace a family ornament broken while decorating and fall for each other along the way.
Two people fall for each other while standing in an endless Christmas tree lot line on Christmas Eve.
A woman searching for her stolen wallet falls for the handsome stranger who finds and returns it on Christmas morning.
Stuck working late on Christmas Eve, two coworkers watch the snowfall out the office window while admitting feelings for one another and sharing a gentle first kiss.
Battling crowded stores while Christmas shopping leads two strangers to strike up a romance.
Two holiday humbugs find common ground in their dislike of the commercialism of Christmas finding comfort in their budding relationship.
An old rival oy shows up in town before Christmas turning an old feud into a romance.
Two strangers get caught under mistletoe while waiting in line for a Christmas tree lighting celebration downtown.
A mall Santa starts taking an interest in someone in the crowd who comes to see him every day during the season.
Two people admit mutual crushes while serving together at a Christmas soup kitchen for the needy.
Someone falls for the cute stranger with the memorable laugh while Christmas shopping at the mall.
A person proposes by embedding an engagement ring into their partner’s favorite Christmas cookies baking project.
A woman begins receiving thoughtful small gifts from a shy secret Christmas admirer.
Two people fall in love while battling the holiday crowds at the airport trying to get home for Christmas.
Bonding over shared childhood holiday disasters brings two strangers together under the mistletoe at a Christmas market.
A person returns home to celebrate Christmas to find their high school crush has moved back too leading to romance.
Getting caught under the mistletoe at an office party leads two long-time co-workers to realize mutual hidden romantic feelings.
Two introverts fall for each other while hiding in the coat room as wallflowers at a huge Christmas gathering.
Finding they are the only singles at their family holiday dinner leads two strangers seated together to hit it off instantly.
Two grumpy neighbors find holiday romance during a massive snowstorm while working together to dig out elderly residents on their street.
A woman proposing to her partner slips the ring onto a ribbon tied in a bow ornament atop the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.
Stranded overnight during a Christmas blizzard at the same sold-out bed and breakfast leads two strangers to bond by the fire.
A single dad falling in love leads to romance over hot cocoa and coincidental Christmas light walk-by viewings.
Childhood next door neighbors find romance after not seeing each other for 20 Christmas seasons.
Two humbug strangers hiding from holiday festivities together end up kissing under mistletoe not realizing their shared dislike of Christmas may turn into a budding holiday romance.

These 100 Christmas romance writing prompts hopefully provide some festive inspiration to spark tender love stories! Use them to write holiday-themed poems, greeting card verses, or even full novellas infused with a little extra romance and cheer.

The creativity doesn’t need to stop here either. Keep these prompts handy as a daily inspiration source to spread more Christmas joy through your writing all season long. They make great scene starters when you need a creative boost.

For all writers, may your pages overflow with Christmas charm and vivid romantic moments. When you craft that perfect holiday love story or poem with the help of these prompts, share your festive creations! Tag your work online with #ChristmasWritingPrompts so fellow writers can read your winter writing wonders too.

May these prompts assist writers in spreading magical holiday tales full of love, laughter and merry tidings through the Christmas season and always! Signing off now with dreams of sugar plum fairies dancing through fresh snowfall and even more story ideas coming to life…Happy Holidays to all, and happy writing! If you enjoyed these prompts, leave us a comment, and we have many more on our site you may enjoy.

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry. Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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Date: September 29, 2020
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Writing a Holiday Romance

If you decide to write a holiday-themed romance, the first thing you need to do is decide if you want to self-publish it or if you want to go the traditional route. Traditional publishers (the big five: Penguin/Random House, Hachette, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, and Harper Collins) decide their holiday lineup in June, with the intention of publishing in late October, early November.

What makes your holiday romance different from any other romance is your book is expected to hit the heart strings something fierce. They are more emotional books and are harder to write because you need to touch deep feelings in your readers. Ideally, you want your readers to cry and laugh along with your characters.

Everyone has nostalgia and emotional baggage around the holidays. Whether it is a fond memory of someone who is no longer with us or a time when everything went wrong, a holiday romance makes the reader experience those feelings again, but always has a happy resolution. Traditions and family play a great part of a holiday romance and can add to the tension in the story. But these stories also have to be filled with hope and goodwill. The reader should close your book and feel like they’ve experienced a range of emotions and have come out feeling better about themselves and their current situation.

The magic of Christmas in an inspirational holiday romance is finding peace and the meaning of the season through the traditions and belief in a higher power. A Yule romance takes place during the Wiccan winter solstice and could have paranormal aspects of a witch coven experiencing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. A Hanukkah romance could take place over eight nights and concentrate on dedication to family and traditions with a surprise miracle at the end. A Kwanzaa romance would concentrate on heritage, unity, and faith.

Hitting the readers’ emotions means you need to dig deep into your own experiences or ones that you’ve heard about that have affected you personally. Holiday commercials are a good example of how to touch someone fast. Hallmark commercials hit the right notes of nostalgia, tradition, and family. The Coca Cola bears sharing their soda and the Hershey kisses ringing bells get people in the holiday mood with the festive music and scenery. The Campbell’s soup commercial where a snowman comes inside and after eating soup turns into a boy and the M&M’s meeting Santa are funny and heartwarming at the same time.

One of the commercials that have stuck with me tells a story. It’s a Folger’s commercial where a soldier is coming home for the holidays and he gets in before the family wakes up and starts a pot of coffee. His mother smells coffee brewing and goes downstairs and hugs her son. Why do I remember it? Because I empathize with both the soldier coming home and the mother seeing her son again. Another one that moves me is not a holiday commercial, but it’s still memorable. It’s the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan singing her song, “Angel.” That one guarantees I’m crying like Niagara Falls. Why? Because it touches on my love for animals.

Children, pets, and grandparents are all ways to evoke emotion in a holiday romance. Past hurts seem to sting more during the holidays, so that’s another way to get your readers’ empathy. While the couple is falling in love, there must be some serious holiday drama and expectations going on. You want to have the couple’s emotional journey tied to the traditions and faith of the holiday. Your hero could be a Scrooge, or he could have been like Tiny Tim. Your heroine could be the person who traditionally cooks the Kwanzaa family dinner every year. Only, the day before they’re all due to come over, her stove breaks. The hero not only buys her a new stove (or fixes her old one), but cooks dinner for her and her family.

Don’t forget to taper the sadness with joy, because that is also an integral part of the holiday season as well. In addition to the pressures of shopping and decorating, there’s also the perfect gift or the holiday ornament that you only see once a year. Use the five senses when writing an emotional holiday scene. The reader wants to smell the baking cookies, hear the crackling fire, taste the peppermint stick, feel the flannel shirt the hero is wearing, and see the dreidel spinning and the foil wrapped chocolate gelt in the mesh bag.

USA Today bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt, writes erotic contemporary love stories and paranormal romances. Her steamy, romantic comedy, Life’s a Beach, reached #65 on USA Today, #2 on Barnes & Noble and #9 on Amazon and iBooks. Her Club Inferno series from Random House’s Loveswept line has hit both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble top one hundred lists. The first book in the series, Heat, put her on the USA Today bestseller list for the first time, and is a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her book Stud was a 2018 Romance Writers of America Rita® Finalist in Erotica. Her dragon paranormal romance series has been called “fun and quirky” and “endearing.” Partnered with New York Times bestselling author and actress, Jenna Jameson, Jamie’s hardcover debut, SPICE, continues Jenna’s FATE trilogy.

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The 25 Best Holiday Romance Novels, Ranked

Holiday romance novels are a heartwarming genre that combines the magic of festive seasons with the enchanting journey of falling in love. They often feature idyllic wintery settings, charming small towns, and the joy and challenges of the holidays, infusing the romance with warmth, hope, and a touch of holiday spirit.

Popular examples include One Day in December , Dash & Lily's Book of Dares , Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, and In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.

Which of these joyful and cozy holiday romances are your favorites?

In a Holidaze

In a Holidaze centers on Maelyn Jones, who is stuck in a time loop reliving the same holiday week at her family's snowy cabin in Utah after a disappointing Christmas and an unexpected romantic mishap. Desperately seeking to break the cycle, she starts making different choices and discovering what truly makes her happy. Along the way, she navigates family traditions, personal desires, and a burgeoning romance, leading to comedic and heartfelt moments.

One Day in December

One Day in December focuses on Laurie, who spots a man through a bus window during a snowy December day and instantly feels a connection - but they never meet. A year later, she's introduced to her best friend Sarah's new boyfriend Jack, only to realize he's the man from the bus. Over a decade, the story explores the ups and downs of their lives as they navigate love, friendship, and missed opportunities.

Royal Holiday

Vivian Forest accompanies her daughter Maddie on a work trip to England, where Maddie will be styling a royal family member. During their stay, Vivian meets Malcolm Hudson, the Queen's charming private secretary, and sparks fly between them. As they explore their unexpected romance amid the festive holiday backdrop, Vivian must decide if she's willing to take a chance on love despite the challenges of distance and their very different lives.

Christmas Shopaholic

Becky Bloomwood is a shopaholic determined to create the perfect Christmas for her family when she takes on the challenge of hosting the holiday festivities for the first time. Among the chaos of finding the right gifts, dealing with unexpected guests, and handling holiday mishaps, Becky strives to make everyone's Christmas magical, while also juggling her own challenges. The result is a heartwarming and humorous tale of family, love, and the true spirit of the holidays.

The Christmas Sisters

The Christmas Sisters revolves around three adopted sisters - Hannah, Beth, and Posy - who return to their snowy Scottish Highlands home for the holidays, each bringing her own struggles and secrets. Their mother, Suzanne McBride, hopes to bring her family closer together and heal old wounds amid festive preparations. As the sisters reconnect, they confront past traumas, rekindle bonds, and discover the true meaning of family and forgiveness during the enchanting Christmas season.

Winter Street

This story focuses on the Quinn family, who run the Winter Street Inn on Nantucket, an island off the Massachusetts coast. Family patriarch Kelley Quinn discovers his second wife, Mitzi, kissing another man just days before Christmas, and the family members find themselves navigating a tumultuous holiday season filled with secrets, relationship dramas, and unexpected reunions. Despite the discord, each person strives to rediscover the joy and spirit of the holiday season.

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How to Write a Holiday Romance Story That Warms Your Readers' Hearts

' Tis the season—for holidays romances, that is! As we move into the Christmas and Hanukkah season, TV and streaming services become rife with holiday movies. The publishing world is no different—now's the time of year when readers scour their favorite book provider for the latest holiday romance to warm their hearts and bring on some holiday cheer.

Falling Snow and Mistletoe: How to Write Holiday Romance

The holiday season has long since been viewed as a season for lovers. There's something terribly romantic about the season in general, and readers seek out holiday romances in particular. Readers want feel-good stories with happy endings, knowing that the spirit of the holidays has helped move the romance along.

Generally speaking, the holiday romance novels that do the best are the ones that most closely mirror the story type and flow of arguably the titan of holiday romances— Hallmark . That is, these romances are generally sweet (no sex or profanity), light-hearted, have easily resolvable conflicts, are set in snowy locales, and have plenty of emotional punch to tug at the heartstrings.

Let's take a look at these elements and others in closer detail.

Choose your holiday

The season of "holidays" can mean many different holidays, so choose one that interests you. Whether you decide to write about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else, make sure you understand what the holiday is about and its associated traditions. You don't necessarily have to celebrate the holiday you're writing about, but do be sure you do the proper research to make sure you're writing about it accurately. For instance, if you're writing about Hanukkah, you probably wouldn't have a scene where your characters are decorating a Christmas tree (unless maybe they're helping out their friends who do celebrate Christmas).

You may also want to research the popularity of certain holidays over others. Christmas is, of course, "evergreen" (pun intended) as far as holiday romances go, but with a surge in interest in reading #ownvoices and underrepresented stories, writing a holiday romance featuring characters who celebrate non-Christmas holidays is a great idea to consider.

Whichever holiday you decide to choose, and whether you choose to integrate the holiday into the storyline in a significant way or feature it as the story's backdrop, research it and write it well and with care and sensitivity.

Choose your trope

With romance, certain tropes—a popular theme or storytelling device—are always a hit with readers. Some prevalent ones include friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, second chance, instant love (or "instalove"), single parent, sibling's best friend, small-town, and age gap, to name only a few. A surefire way to know that your holiday romance will be at the top of readers' TBR piles is to choose a popular trope and marry it with a holiday background. For example, perhaps two former high school sweethearts lost touch during college and rediscover each other when they both return to their small town for the holidays. Or perhaps two department store employees strike up a friendship, and the holiday season in the big city brings them closer together. Maybe a high-powered corporate exec falls for a blue-collar single dad. You can find a bunch of other tropes within our holidays romance writing prompts .

Location, location, location

Typically, the holiday season brings to mind snowy locales, full of brightly pine trees and chilly temperatures. What could be more romantic than bundling up and cuddling in close with your crush or loved one? Consider scouting some lovely, snowy locations for the setting of your story.

However, a holiday romance doesn't always have to be set in a cold place. Do some online research, and maybe even visit the actual location like the Caribbean , Italy , or hiking in Portugal to really get to know the place before you start writing. A warm, sun-kissed beach or a charming Mediterranean village can provide a unique and enchanting backdrop for your holiday love story.

Craft your meet-cute

An essential part of any romance is the way the two main characters—the lovers—meet. In romance, especially holiday romance, the cuter, the better. Maybe the heroine is the mother of a young child, and the child's class has a substitute teacher—who just so happens to be the hero she falls for. Or maybe, the hero's a single dad looking for that one special toy for Christmas for his kid, and the very last one in the city is inside a tiny shop owned by the heroine. Perhaps one hero is a postal worker and delivers mail to another hero's home. Then, oops! There's a big snowstorm, making travel unsafe.

Let your sense of romance take over. Readers of holiday romance are readily willing to suspend their belief, so don't be afraid to go wild, even if the meet-cute seems like a stretch. The holidays are the perfect time to believe in the unbelievable, especially when the promise is romance!

Set your heat level

This is an important one, and it will require some careful consideration. How steamy do you want to go in your holiday romance? There are equally large markets for steamy romance and sweet romance (no explicit scenes on the page). The crucial first step to take is understanding the differences in heat level. There are some overlapping definitions, but in general, steamy romance includes one or two detailed sex scenes that occur on the page. The difference between steamy romance and erotic romance is the plot—is it focused on the development of the romance between the two characters, and are the love scenes a device to heighten that emotional bond? Then you've probably got a steamy romance on your hands. Is the plot focused on the love scenes with little to no emphasis on the romance? Then you've probably got erotica.

Studying the market is usually a good idea to get a feel of what you'd like to write. Again referencing Hallmark holiday movies' popularity, you can be sure that sweet romances with no steam or swearing will be well received. Sweet romance means there are no sex scenes, and the physical affection between the characters doesn't go beyond kissing. Most publishers seeking holiday romances are also clear about desiring sweet romance as well—this has the broadest appeal among readers, and many fans of steamy romance will happily read sweet romance as well (although there's not as much crossover the other way around).

Make your conflicts easily resolvable

The holiday season is one of lightheartedness, where people generally like to be kinder to one another than they might be throughout the rest of the year. Themes of peace on Earth and goodwill toward other humans are significant during this time of year, and they're often reflected in holiday romances. Readers usually don't prefer to deal with heavy conflicts in their holiday romances, as they're typically looking for a feel-good escape (there are, of course, exceptions to this, and it's by no means a rule, rather an observation of the holiday romances that tend to dominate the market).

That said, conflicts drive the plot, which drives the story! Think about conflicts that aren't too heavy that can be easily resolved. Misunderstandings and miscommunications are usually good ones to consider. Whatever you decide, try to keep it on the lighter side of things.

Meet those holiday expectations

Part of the joy of the holiday season resides in the commonly held traditions therein. They're familiar, festive, and generally comforting. Going back to our first tip of choosing the right holiday and researching those traditions and traits, you'll want to be sure you're incorporating enough to keep that sense of the season high throughout the story. For instance, in Christmas romance novels, you'll probably want to make sure at least one—more is better—of the following makes an appearance in your story: Christmas tree decorating, gift-wrapping, caroling, ice skating. Bonus points for a Santa sighting and a town Christmas party!

Emotional impact

The holiday season is a time of love, friendship, family, and forgiveness. Consider the emotional themes you want to put in your story and make sure you deliver on them. For instance, if your story concerns a heroine who's spent every Christmas alone, she should end the story with a new family—that of her lover's, or the friends she's made along the way. If you're writing about a military vet who's been deployed for the past five Christmases, perhaps in your story, he finally gets to go home and be with his parents. An underprivileged child might get the chance to receive their most desired gift, or maybe a lonely, recently divorced hero finally finds the person he can open his heart to. You can take your story in so many directions—just be sure the emotional payoff is there.

The happily-ever-after (HEA)

And once that emotional payoff is reached—you can roll right into your HEA, or happily-ever-after. The HEA is critical in romance—some would say it is the story element that makes a romance a true romance. At the end of your story, the reader wants to know the lovers have finally reached their true pinnacle of happiness and are settling in for a long, happy life together. For bonus points, consider dropping in an epilogue at the end of the story, set some time in the future, to give your readers a peek at how the lovers are doing.

The holiday season can be so inspiring to both readers and writers alike. So soak in the festive, happy spirit, put your romance writer hat on, and write that next beautiful holiday romance that will have your readers reaching for it again and again, every single year! Happy writing!

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A Holiday Romance

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Like many other people I dream to get away from it all for a while and to soothe away stress. I can’t say what type of a holiday-maker I am, because I may feel happy about anything which gives me an opportunity to relax my body, renew my energy and refresh my spirits. Like sun-worshippers I may go on a seaside holiday. I will laze around on the beach in the middle of nowhere, bronzing myself and gazing at the sea. By the way, I don’t need a five-star hotel with luxury accommodation facilities. I only want my hotel to overlook the sea and to be a stone’s throw away from the beach.

There, on the beach, apart from basking under the sun I can indulge in sports activities and, who knows, look for a holiday romance. These watersports enthusiasts look so attractive! Or I may enjoy an adventure holiday, like a true traveller. I will look round the cities, exploring the obvious attractions and taking the best of the local cuisine. If I get tired of places swarming with people I can always find something completely off the beaten track – for example, a chalet in a bijou village or a boarding house providing homely food – and stay there for a weekend

I may even follow the example of home-lovers and stay at home, spending precious time on my own and with people I like and love. The only holiday that doesn’t appeal to me is camping. Pitching a camp is tiring and tents always look as if going to collapse. Besides, sitting round the fire singing songs in a place swarming with mosquitoes doesn’t sound like my scene at all. As you see, my list of holiday must-haves is not very strict. The only thing I really look for in a holiday is something which will make me feel refreshed.

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Home / Essay Samples / Culture / Christmas / The Magic of Holiday: Why I Love Christmas

The Magic of Holiday: Why I Love Christmas

Category: Culture
Topic: Christmas

Pages: 1 (465 words)

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Introduction

Joyful traditions, sense of unity.

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